"Elements of the surreal are part of the fabric of Christopher Nolan's visionary space epic Interstellar, but there is an aching reality that always keeps it grounded, offering up an intricate narrative that is often emotionally overwhelming. Easy comparisons to Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey and Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity have been asserted and encored in reviews and reflections and certainly in persuasive terms. The latter acknowledges the irrefutable facts of science, while the former is operatic in scope and vision -both which are explored vigorously in Interstellar, but what distinguishes Nolan's film further is how it examines the meaning of life and survival plans when life on Earth is no longer tenable. With these themes, the film recalls both Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life and Darren Aonofsky's The Fountain.
"An overpopulated Earth is subject to an increase in atmospheric nitrogen that has fueled dust storms that block the sun, and crop obliteration, two conditions that force a test pilot who lives near a corn belt farm, which he harvests; a seemingly supernatural force brings him to a underground secret location manned by NASA, where plans have been formulated to transport people into outer space, while an alternate or concurrent plan involves colonizing a future world by way of cryogenic embryos. The former plan is complicated by obstacles, mainly the matter of gravity. The test pilot, Cooper (Matthrw McConaughey) leads a small crew on a spacecraft set to investigate a wormhole near the planet Saturn that may have been given to humankind as a refuge to ward off extinction. It is assumed that aliens of exceeding intelligence have made such an escape possible.
"The relationship between the widower Cooper and his daughter Murph can be seen as the film's emotional center, helping to humanize the film's more technical though vital concerns like the theory of relativity and the probably existence of extraterrestrial life. The daughter, devastated by her father's need to leave her, receives messages from apparitions that her father should stay. Grown up, the daughter is played by a superlative Jessica Chastain, whose most unforgettable moments are registered when she is seemingly alone. But the chemistry between McConaughey and Anne Hathaway (who accompanies him on his space mission) is extraordinary. The lilting, often pulsating score by Hans Zimmer helps Nolan achieve an emotional epiphany, though technically the film is nothing less than spectacular. Multiple viewings will help to dig even deeper solving some of the more cryptic elements, but in the end it is that rare film that leaves you staggered and shaken, realizing the capabilities of the cinema. Interstellar is a masterpiece, and one of the new millennium's truly magisterial works." ~ Sam Juliano
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